When my friend, Shruti Dahiya returned glowing after six days of sailing on one of the best luxury Yachts of Maldives, Yang, it was time for me to chase her for a review. Yang is a 50 foot of sheer luxury and 5 Star experience! Shruti, without much coaxing, gracefully accepted the request (probably to get me off her back) and here is her review of the wonderful six days when Yang took her for an extensive excursion of the blue paradise Maldives are!

The Yang Offerings

Yang is quite a favorite amongst advanced certified divers but there is no reason the lesser mortals like you and me should not opt for the scuba Spa experience. Yes! There is a fully equipped Spa, morning Yoga sessions, island hopping, snorkeling and parties for those who are looking for a complete Maldivian experience. Shruti was on Yang with husband and her three years old munchkin of a daughter. They had taken 6 Spa and 3 dives package as none of them was an experienced diver. Certified divers can opt for a much more extensive diving routine with over 15 dives at the best locations around South Male’ Atoll. They can also indulge in night dives that are definitely not for someone like me who suffers from underwater phobia!

Morning Yoga Sessions....

Before we start, we highly recommend reading our blog on Maldives. It's a detailed article on places to see and things to do in Maldives.

The Review

Overview: 17th-24th Dec. Package: 6 spa and 3 dives

Three is a Gang!

I with my family undertook cruise on scuba spa yang. We were picked by boat at the Ibrahim Nassir International Airport, Maldives, which took us to the majestic Yang that was anchored away from the shore. I was taken in by the beautiful vessel at once! She was massive, stylish and stood out in the crowd of yachts around it. We were welcomed by staff in a very friendly manner and were made super comfortable.

The Hunger Pangs

The food was very delicious and comprised of lots of fruits, juices and had variety every day. A large buffet, colorful spread of seafood with salads and grills was an everyday affair. There was also a special dish of the day every day. Divers were welcomed to a spread of fruits every time they returned from dives. For vegetarians, choices were limited but the chef made it a point that he prepared something especially to cater to my food preference. There were rice, gravy and grilled vegetables and they were good! One could enjoy the food with wine, beer and other beverages which were charged separately. Wine started from $40 and beer from $5.

The Yang life

A fully equipped Bar on-board Yang

The days in Yang had a lot of hustle bustle with diving teams moving around and there was always an excitement in the air since everyone was keeping a lookout on marine life sightings. All yachts in a particular area here are in contact with each other so if there are some special sightings such as pilot whales and likes, everyone rushes to the spot! The route of Yang affords best and innumerable opportunities of sighting precious and rare marine life!

The nocturnal Sharks

Every day was planned out in advance and same was written on board a night before so that everybody could prepare a day prior. The divers were very professional and gave a proper briefing for the dive spot before we went for dive. They were well aware of the specific species we were likely to find in that particular area. We saw Mantas, reef sharks, black tips shark, stingrays and shoals of beautiful fish and other marine life during dive and snorkeling. We were also taken to a spot which was a habitat of nocturnal sharks. These sharks are attracted to light and so they follow the light on the boat. We had a great time watching sharks playing near our boat, in the light. I guess the picture below speaks for itself!

Unique Maldivian Experience

Island hopping...something one should not miss when in Maldives

Apart from diving they also took us to a few uninhabited islands which were extremely beautiful and pristine with soft white sand. My 3 year old daughter had a wonderful time playing on the beach and in the sand. All the guests would come down to laze in the sun, swim in the cool water or simply enjoy the view! Almost every day we would stop by and anchor near one of such islands. The feeling of being on an uninhabited island is pretty awesome and the kind one can know only when experienced! The crew also arranged for a wonderful barbecue party on one of the islands one night. They decorated and prepared the island before we all arrived. Mantas and sharks made of sand, candles lit alongside the path to party and great music made it all a night to remember.

The barbeque night!

Every night at the Yacht, all guests would get together, chat and play games. We even invited the friendly staff of yang to join us sometimes. If you like to dance then Yang will give you great music to thump your feet on! The staff even indulged and took care of my daughter and so despite of being the only child on the yacht, she was super happy throughout. It was the first time that we went for such a cruise with our kid and I loved the way all the staff was friendly with my daughter and she got used to playing around with everyone and had great time too.

The dream Birthday!

They also picked my birthday from passport and surprised me with a birthday cake. That day I and my husband spent some great time in Jacuzzi that is located on the top deck of yang while staff took care and babysit our daughter! I will always be thankful to these guys for being such wonderful hosts and taking such good care of us.

The Roomy Story

The rooms in Yang are quite spacious for a Yacht. They are tastefully done and staff ensures regular cleaning everyday and on request too. Done in wooden finish, they provide a cozy ambience to relax in. Bathrooms are well fitted, toiletries and towels are provided. Frankly we returned to room only for a good night's sleep but yep the quality of sleep was great!

The Pampering

Yang is a scuba spa yacht so just like the world class diving experience they also have a super indulgent spa facility onboard. One could take a spa session instead of dives so I took some insane number of spa luxury and came back glowing!! Spa staff was very professional in their work and massages were very relaxing. There are both male and female masseuses on Yang and you can indicate your preference. Right from facials, foot to full body, Yang’s spa experience covers extensive types of therapies.

An Experience of a Lifetime

Yang has its own camera and they keep clicking away the entire time. After the trip they shared videos and photographs with all of us. The very last night we had sunset cocktail party when the yacht was anchored off Male’. We all had a great time and with big smiles on our face we bid warm good bye to everyone. Yang was an experience of a lifetime and when I think of cons, I can’t really think of any. It was a great trip where I collected number of joyful memories that I will cherish for a lifetime. When you talk of a true Maldivian experience then Yang should be a part of it. With a big price tag, Yang is still worth the value of money. Mind you, Maldives is a very costly country but Yang gives everything Maldives has to offer over a period of 6 nights!